Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 04.djvu/82

 FENWICK

FENWICK

academy of St. Benedict in Cbarlestown and made a visitation of his diocese in 1827, organiz- ing congregations and marking out sites for churches. He provided missionaries and cliurclies for the Indians and witnessed rapid progress in their civilization. By 1831 he had erected seven- teen new cliurches, but imder considerable oppo- sition and persecution. In 1834 the convent at Charlestown was burned by a mob during the night, but the nuns escaped without injury. He founded the College of the Holy Cross, Worcester, Mass., in 1843, and at his death his diocese con- tained fifty prosperous churches, an orphan asy- lum and numerous parochial schools, academies and colleges. In 1835-36 he was administrator sede vacante of the diocese of New York. His brother Enoch was also a Roman Catholic priest. He died in Boston, Mass., Aug. 11, 1846.

FENWICK, Edward Dominic, R.C. bishop, was born in St. Mary's county-, Md., Aug. 19, 1768, a descendant from Cuthbert Fenwick. Catholic schools being prohibited in Jlaryland, young Fenwick was sent to Europe where he was educated by the English Dominicans who had estab- lished a college at Bornheim, Belgium, near Antwerp. He entered the col- lege Dec. 34, 1784, and re- ceived the Habit there Sept. 4, 1788. He completed bi.3 course at the theolog- ical seminary conducted by the Domini- cans; was made professor at the college, and af- ter his ordina- tion at Ghent, Belgium, in June, 1793, jirocurator of the house. When the French invaded Flanders in 1794 he was imprisoned and threatened with death but was released on his proving him- self an American citizen. He thereupon went to England, entered the convent of the Domini- cans and while there determined to introduce the order into the United States. He prevailed upon some of their members to accompany him home. The general of the order aided him and made him superior of the colony and on arriving in Balti- more he placed himself under the direction of Bishop Carroll who advised him to work in the west, so in need of missionaries. He purchased a

ST. PETER'S CATHEDRAL. CIN.O.

farm in Washington county, Ky., from his own means and in 1806 with his three companions established the " Convent of St. Rose of the Order of Preachers." Determined to extend his mis- sionary work into Ohio, he resigned his position, as provincial and made long journeys in the wil- derness, at first having only three Catholic fami- lies in the centre of the .state. They had not seen, a priest for ten years. He afterward visited Ohio from St. Rose twice every year and new acquisi- tions were made to the church at each visit. In 1819 he built in Cincinnati, Ohio, the first Roman Catholic church in the state and followed it with churches at Somerset, Zanesville, Lancaster, St. Barnabas, Rehoboth, St. Patrick and distant places on the frontier. When, through the ad- vice of Bishop Flaget, the new diocese of Cincin- nati was created June 19, 1821, Father Fenwick was appointed its first bishop. He was conse- crated at St. Rose by Bishop Flaget Jan. 13, 1822. He went to Europe in 1823 for financial aid for his impoverished diocese. Leo XII. presented him with a tabernacle, at the time the finest in the United States. He also gave him candlesticks, chalice and other articles for the altar of his new cathedral and 13,000 Roman crowns to defray the expenses of his journey. He returned with a large fund and in 1826 began the building of the cathedral. In 1839 he attended the first jirovin- cial council at Baltimore. He introduced the Sisters of Charity in his diocese and the Poor Clares, the third order of St. Dominic. He founded on Oct. 17, 1831, the Atheneum, subse- quently St. Xavier's college in Cincinnati. He visited the Indians in the northwest territory and at Mackinaw selected two members of the tribe to be trained for the priesthood, sending them to Rome to be educated. While ministering to the sick during the cholera epidemic he was stricken, and died at Wooster, Ohio, Sept. 2.5, 1832.

FENWICK, John R., soldier, was born in Charleston, S.C, in 1780. He was educated in England, entered the service of the United States as lieutenant of marines in 1799. and was pro- moted captain in that corps in 1809. In Decem- ber, 1811, he was commis.sioned lieutenant-colonel of light artillery, and served in the war of 1813. At the assault on Queenstown Heights, Oct. 13, 1813, he was wounded and made prisoner. On Mai'oh 18, 1813, he was brevetted colonel for gal- lant conduct on the Niagara frontier and on tl.e same date was made adjutant-general of the army with the rank of colonel. When the troops were disbanded, June 1, 1815, he was restored to his former rank of lieutenant-colonel of light artil- lery in the regular army. He was made colonel of the 4th artillery. May 8, 1823, and brevetted brigadier-general, March 18, 1833. He died at Marseilles, France, March 19, 1843.